Page 50 of The Clause in Christmas
She’d check off the task later.
As she dashed past the pantry, she halted abruptly. Yanking the door open, she snatched the bag of Frank’s coffee beans before resuming her sprint.
* * *
Heart fluttering in anticipation, Cassie pushed through the entrance of Maggie’s Place, welcoming the aroma of freshly baked cinnamon rolls.
“Good morning, sweetheart.” Maggie stepped from behind the cash register to envelop Cassie in a hug. “We have a surprise for you.” One arm draped around Cassie’s waist, Maggie led her to the end of the long display counter.
Nestled in the back corner sat the gleaming copper espresso machine, flanked by Eliza and Penny, arms splayed like Vanna White.
“Ta-da!” they cheered in unison.
Cassie’s breath caught as she took in the sight. Not only was the machine operational, Maggie had designated an entire space for it, arranging a stack of white ceramic mugs and an assortment of other items Cassie would need, including portafilters and tamps.
Following her gaze, Maggie said, “We found those in an old tin canister labeled Coffee in the basement. I’d forgotten all about them.” She smiled warmly, her hazel eyes shimmering with delight. “What do you think? Is this enough space?”
“Enough space for what?” Cassie’s voice hummed with equal parts anticipation and hesitancy.
“For you to serve lattes!” Eliza blurted, unable to hold back her excitement. “And whatever else you do with this thing.”
Cassie gaped at Eliza, then Maggie. “Wait… what exactly are you saying?”
Maggie grinned. “If you’re interested, we’d love to have you serve specialty coffee drinks here at the bakery. For a few hours in the morning, to start. I can’t pay you much, but I’ll purchase all the supplies. And, of course, all the pastries you can eat.” She laughed brightly, Eliza and Penny joining in.
But Cassie couldn’t make a sound past the lump in her throat. After a pause, she murmured hoarsely, “I… don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes!” Eliza encouraged.
“But…” Cassie trailed off, barely able to string two thoughts together. “What coffee would I use?”
“We’ll have to figure that out,” Maggie admitted. “But I’m sure we’ll come up with something.”
“Our sister town, Primrose Valley, is bigger than we are,” Eliza pointed out. “Maybe we can find something there?”
Cassie’s heart swelled at their use of “we.”
“I travel to all of the surrounding towns looking for stuff for my shop,” Penny added. “I can ask around for you.”
“Perfect!” Eliza hugged herself as if she might burst with happiness any second. “But for now, do you have any of Frank’s coffee left?”
Reaching into her purse, Cassie took the opportunity to blink back her impending tears. Overwhelmed with emotion, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh, cry, or hug all three of them at once. Never in all her life had she been so fully embraced and accepted by anyone, let alone an entire town.
Sniffling, she withdrew the bag of Frank’s latest blend.
“Yay!” Eliza applauded as though Cassie had just pulled a rabbit out of a hat.
“What are you going to make first?” Penny asked.
A smile spread across Cassie’s face as an idea came to her. “I think I’ll make an eggnog latte.”
* * *
Luke couldn’t stop grinning as he gazed at Cassie across the dining room table. When his mother told him she’d invited Cassie to join their weekly family dinner, Luke had been thrilled. But when Maggie also told him about her job offer, Luke felt more elated than the first time he used a power saw. The only problem was, he hadn’t been able to think about anything else all day. He wanted—no,needed—to know if Cassie planned to stay in Poppy Creek.
“You should have seen the line out the door!” Maggie beamed with pride as she raved about Cassie for the third or fourth time that evening. “People were tripping over themselves to get one of Cassie’s eggnog lattes.”
Luke stole another glance at Cassie, noting the soft pink flush across her cheeks. She’d remained quiet throughout most of dinner, but she seemed happy, which gave Luke hope.
